Saturday Night Fever Filming Locations

I had fun while in New York back in May 2008 tracing the footsteps of Tony Manero, footsteps that walked the streets of Brooklyn to the pulsating rhythm of “Stayin’ Alive.” Of course, Tony Manero, played by John Travolta, is the main character of the film, king of the (paint) store by day and the disco floor by night.

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge – Brooklyn, New York

The opening of the film starts with an aerial shot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Brooklyn to Staten Island. From the point of view of the camera, Manhattan is visible in the background. There’s alot of significance to the scene. You can’t see Manhattan from down on the streets of Bay Ridge (well, not right here, you can’t). Manhattan is a “far away,” unattainable place to live. Beyond the bridge, and beyond reach of the Brooklyn kids who feel they’ll never get ahead. They can see Manhattan, as they will later climb the bridge and taunt Manhattan as they teeter along the edges of the bridge.

Here’s a photo I took of the bridge…from down on the ground, of course (as well as from the opposite direction).

Here’s an aerial shot of the bridge, taken by my daughter Amber during our flight to New York.

This is a sweet scene where the normally cool, cocky and wisecracking Tony comforts Stephanie by telling her all about the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. It was filmed at a park below the bridge.

May 2008.

The next scene is pretty dark – it was filmed below the Verrazano-Narrows, after one of Tony’s friends, Bobby C, falls from the bridge into the Narrows. After his death, Tony and his friends leave the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

Here’s a photo of the same location.

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

Here’s the next part of the movie’s opening. It’s not the greatest split-second shot there is, but scene was filmed on 86th Street near Bay 23rd Street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn (the movie is set in Bay Ridge). This is where Tony Manero, played by John Travolta, walked with the iconic paint can. Tony is just leaving Lenny’s Pizza, after purchasing two pizza slices and eating them “double-decker” style.

May 2008.

Pearson’s Bay Ridge Home Center – Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

Tony’s walk with the paint can was to get a specific color of paint that the hardware store for which he worked didn’t have in stock. After getting the paint and pizza, he arrives back at Brothers Hardware, where he works.

Tony would have worn out a little more shoe leather to get from Bensonhurst to Bay Ridge, where the store is actually located (the film makes the two locations seem closer than they actually are). The store is now Pearson’s Bay Ridge Home Center, and got a makeover.

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

After Tony meets his match in Stephanie Mangano, they go out for coffee. In this scene, they are walking north on 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge, toward a coffee shop at 94th Street. The area to the right is now a small park and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is visible in the background.

Not quite the same angle, but here I am in the park that was in the barren area above.

As Tony and Stephanie continue their walk north on 5th, they are crossing 94th Street, about to go to the coffee shop.

This photo was not quite at the same angle (I didn’t have the screenshots at the time), but this is from 5th Avenue, looking across the street. The delicatessen is now a bagel shop and the pizzeria is still operating.

I could have definitely used screen captures to get the right angles here, but oh well..here’s what I have.

This scene was shot was through the coffee shop window at 94th Street, looking northeast toward 5th Avenue at a Grand Union grocery store. Our photos are not at the same angles, but the next two photos in the set show the Mazda dealership (which this coffee shop became) and a Staples, which used to be the Grand Union in this photo.

This is the Mazda dealership which now occupies the coffee shop. The glass windows are where the scene above was filmed through. The white building in the background was the Grand Union above and is now a Staples. Compare the above photo of the Grand Union to the 2nd photo below.

Though again, we did not have any screen captures, we randomly took photos in this area, where the coffee shop scene was filmed. The Staples to the right is the Grand Union in our screen capture above, and the corner of the coffee shop (Mazda dealer) is visible to the left.

Wow! I am a Bay Ridge girl and was in PS 102 when they were filming Saturday Night Fever. My older sister skipped school with friends to try to be an extra. John Travolta was SO young and cute. Your photo essay using the screen shots and the newer photos is brilliant. Your shot of the bridge, which we are so proud of, is beautiful. Saturday Night Fever is still one of the top things about being from Bay Ridge. My Dad has a Bay Ridge blog and I will definitely send this to him! Thanks, Katie

Thanks for your nice comments! I grew up in Connecticut, but since New York is so close, we always made trips to the city and love it. I moved away, so now, each time I go back I try to see and do something a little different. I love finding movie locations so I thought I’d try this one. It was fun and I’m glad you liked it!

I’m from San Francisco and did a “Saturday Night Fever” tour in 1992 but it was random, I sure wish I had all the info you have on this site back then because I didn’t know exact locations. 2001 was still open though, although it had become a gay club and was renamed. Glad I got to see that while it was still there. I’m so pleased to see that much of the neighborhood has stayed the same. Thank you so much from a big SNF fan who saw the movie at least 15-20 times in the theater when it came out, I was 15 years old.

Hi
We are visiting New York in February (we are from the UK) and as a long time SNF fan, I would really like to visit some of the locations. In particular the bench below the bridge where Tony comforts Stephanie. You say this is in a park below the bridge, I would really appreciate if you could let me know where this is (ie: which side of the bridge) as I would really like a photo of my wife and I on the bench.
Great photos.
regards Sean

To start with I was born in Brooklyn and have lived here almost my entire life. For someone who didn’t live here you did a really great job with the movie locations. Although I don’t recall any filming for Saturday Night Fever, I do remember when they filmed the opening scene to the Welcome Back Kotter title sequence showing the train passing the high school. Which coincidentally is just a few blocks from Lenny’s Pizza (80th Street and New Utrecht Avenue vs. 86th Street and 20th Avenue). Anyway I was hoping that you could give me details as to where Tony Manero’s house was/is located. It’s always bothered me that I can’t pick it’s location out from the scenery. If you don’t want to give specifics (as to respect the owners’ privacy) could you just give me the vicinity and/or cross streets?

Also just thought that I would mention that right down the block from Lenny’s Pizza was filmed the car chase/baby carriage scene from The French Connection, as well as the opening scene for a Steven Sagal movie.

Hello James, and thanks for the kind words! I didn’t grow up in Brooklyn (my parents lived there but wanted to move back to Connecticut when they started a family), but we went into the city often. For economic reasons, I moved from the area, but try to get back once a year to visit family.

Anyway, I had heard about the French Connection and have seen that chase scene before, it’s very cool! I don’t think I have seen any Steven Sagal movies…

As far as Tony’s house, we opted not to go there because due to the owner’s privacy concerns, they remodeled the exterior of the house to make it look different from the film. I suppose we could have taken a photo anyway to compare the film, but it was a little farther away from the other Bay Ridge locations, which were fairly condensed and we were chilly that day (read, lazy)! LOL It’s location is already on the web, so I’m not really violating thir privacy to tell you the “Manero” house is at 221 79th Street.

Hi there,
We are just back from NY we stayed in Brooklyn, Boerum Hill area- we loved it!
We got the B train one day by accident and I could not believe the views from it -soo wanted to go to Bay Ridge as I knew thats where Sat Night Fever was filmed-but I did’nt know the location addresses or where to get off.I was so impressed with your photos and research as its always been one of my favourite movies. We were so tired that day we had not energy left. That was great to see that…..if we ever return…. I need go visit.
Sheena Scotland

Hey Milt, I have done a two locations in Chicago so far. The Blues Brothers page is up, but I’ll be darned if I know where the Ferris Bueller page went! I’ll have to rebuild it I guess! I’ll have to add more to my list of things to do as time and finances permit!! Love Chicago!

This is great, possibly my most favourite film ever, i have just got back from NY, i did visit Bay Ridge Brooklyn to see the Verrazano Bridge in particular, if i’d seen this site before i went, i would have sought out the area in more detail. Anyway well done! I’m now gonna scour my pics from that day i visited just in case i can see anything connected with SNF!
Nick, Liverpool UK.

so glad I found this, Very nice job on showing us the changes over time. I was wondering did they film on the verazano bridge or was those scenes shot in studio. Being there is no walk way on the V B it would be hard to shut it down to film and very costly for permits. Thank you.

Hey I love the pictures of the movie locagtion for Saturday Night Fever. This movie will always be in my heart . I remember those great 70s and when this movie came out it imitated my life so much I swear it was about me . Ted Thomson Rochester, New York

Hi Sheen , Pleas take some pictures of where Saturnight Fever was filmed. I noticed the diso tech the 2001 Oyessy was demolished. But much of the film location is still there. That movie was a complete dupilcation of the disco reveolution in the sevenites. There is no movie like Saturday Night Fever .

I love this movie. I rent it from the library every chance I get. It’s a shame they tore down the disco. And I heard the White Castle was also torn down. The coffee shop should have been left alone, and Grand Union should have stayed there. Thank you for sharing the photos.

I heard that too about the White Castle – too bad! I wish they had left the coffee shop alone too, but I guess for whatever reason, it didn’t do well and had to close (I guess being featured in SNF did nothing for business!).

Great stuff! I live in Canada but I have family on both sides of the border & was in NYC the summer of ’77. When I got older, I went back there live (Elmhurst section of Queens & Hall Street in Brooklyn). I remember the disco era like it was only a short time ago & made a short film years back (which I haven’t put out yet (2002) called In Time (not to be confused with the new one!). Anyways, I met John several times over the years and in my film, my character gets asked to leave the Peninsula Hotel in Manhattan because he’s under dressed in jeans
& t-shirt so he walks outside & runs into John Travolta and asks him what time it is. John tells me then it cuts to me walking out to the street at sunset with the NYC skyscrapers with the song playing “Life going nowhere, somebody help me…” For me, it brings m a lot of symbolism… Anyways, I like what you did & I wish you all the very BEST!… GOD bless—CH-Proverbs 16:3, 9-

—I know the internet can be superficial and I did receive some nasty ‘liar’ e-mails so I just wanted you to know in case you got any as well about my comment that I don’t lie-I just really work hard & I am blessed-this video link should silence any negative comments that may have caused you to believe otherwise. anyways
I really like what you did here—and a NICE shot Amber got from the airplane—hope you & your family had a GREAT summer. Take care Jennifer & GOD bless—CH-Proverbs 16:3, 9-

Great work. Im a big fan of the film and due to visit NYC from the UK in a few months so i will try and visit some of these locations, espec the street in the opening credits and the seat at the bridge, even if i cant convince any of my mates to come, ill just hire a cab and get him to take me.

Are there any official SNF or general NYC movie locations tours worth doing?

I hope you enjoy your visit to the United States and that my blog will be helpful in tracing and walking in Tony Manero’s footsteps! I do suggest you try to have a slice (or two, yeah two…) slices of pizza from lenny’s. I didn’t and I wish I had (maybe sometime if I go back east). But whether you have one or two, make SURE to fold the pizza lengthwise and eat it like Tony does…that’s the authentic way to eat NY pizza.